UPDATED: ISBE issues new remote learning guidance following a rise in school COVID-19 outbreaks

HUNTLEY – As of Sep. 7, Huntley Community School District 158 (D158) has listed on their COVID-19 metrics dashboard that 21 total individuals were reported to have tested positive for COVID-19 from Conley Elementary School located in Algonquin.

The McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) considers an outbreak as two or more cases “linked epidemiologically that do not share the same household and are not listed as close contacts of each other outside the outbreak setting.”

Martin Elementary, a D158 school in Lake in the Hills, also joined the Illinois Department of Public Health’s (IDPH) list of schools in McHenry County recognized to have had an outbreak. However, only three students at Martin were identified as having tested positive.

As the possibility of more outbreaks in schools rises, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is bracing itself for the potential for school closings by issuing new guidance for schools to pursue a remote learning option.

Illinois State Superintendent Carmen Ayala has the authority under Sections 10-30 and 24-18.66 of the Illinois School Code to declare a requirement for a school district, multiple school districts, a region, or the entire state to use remote learning days when a disaster declaration is in effect.

“Recognizing the utmost importance of full in-person learning, state statute also allows for remote learning in certain circumstances,” Ayala said. “Further, briefly transitioning to remote learning on an individual student or schoolwide basis, in consultation with the local department of public health, may be necessary to keep the school community safe.”

D158 has not said whether they have plans to shift to remote learning if outbreaks were to continue, but according to the district’s COVID-19 dashboard, as of Sep. 6, D158 only lists one person in isolation.

This data appears to not be an accurate indicator of the total number of quarantines happening in the district, according to some parents with children in the district. However, D158 did not return My Huntley News’ request for comment on their COVID-19 outbreak data.

Lindsey Salvatelli, MCDH’s community information coordinator, confirmed that D158 is working very diligently alongside the health department to ensure positive COVID-19 cases are kept at a minimum.

“We continue to work with [D158]. [They are] pretty quick in terms of [identifying outbreaks] and steps were taken to eliminate it from spreading further,” said Salvatelli.

While D158 does allow students who are considered close contacts to a positive COVID-19 case to “test to stay” in school, MCDH has instilled certain restrictions to that option due to the county still experiencing high rates of COVID-19 transmission.

Some parents like Brandon Michael believe that quarantine mitigations are inconsistent and pose hardships to both parents and students at the elementary level in the district.

“So, if my child never contracts it, what did the quarantine do when I send them back. Another kid gets it in the lunchroom and my child is at the same table, right back to another quarantine. I know it’s not what parents, including myself, want to hear but based on current protocol, remote is the best option,” Michael said. “These kids can’t get vaccinated and the back and forth is going to put a strain on everything. I can say personally the back and forth is beating my daughter down.”

Ultimately, students who “test to stay” and are determined to have a negative result, may return to the classroom, though under the current level of transmission in McHenry County, students cannot use this method if the exposure took place in the cafeteria or if proper mask wearing was not followed.

MCDH also states that as long as the county remains at the high level of transmission, students who participate in “test to stay” cannot return to high-risk extracurricular activities or use the school bus for 14 days.

In the meantime, organizations like the Illinois Principals Association (IPA) and the Illinois Education Association (IEA) to name a few, shared their relief at the news of Gov. JB Pritzker’s extension of his COVID-19 vaccination mandate for eligible individuals in health care and school settings.

“We have said all along that the best place for students to be is in the classroom, as long as it’s safe. We believe the governor’s executive order—which encourages all education employees from preschool through college to be vaccinated and if they can’t, or won’t, then to be tested weekly—will help keep schools open and those who work and learn inside them safe,” said IEA President Kathi Griffin.

Additionally, many of the education-based organizations continue to support any mitigation methods that will keep students in-person.

“With the increased risks posed to young people by the COVID-19 Delta variant, the IPA recognizes the critical role vaccinations and testing play for young people to remain in-person at school and stay healthy while doing so,” said IPA Executive Director Jason Leahy.